Word Origin & History

early 15c., "to fix the amount (of a tax, fine, etc.)," from Anglo-French assesser, from Medieval Latin assessare "fix a tax upon," originally frequentative of Latin assessus "a sitting by," past participle of assidere "to sit beside" (and thus to assist in the office of a judge), from ad- "to" (see ad-) + sedere "to sit" (see sedentary). One of the judge's assistant's jobs was to fix the amount of a fine or tax. Meaning "to estimate the value of property for the purpose of taxing it" is from 1809; transferred sense of "to judge the value of a person, idea, etc." is from 1934. Related: Assessed; assessing.

Example Sentences forassess

She could not assess her trespass by any moral code; it was everything or nothing.

I cannot pretend to assess impartially the value of this movement.

How can it step out of the scales and assess its own weight?

We said we might buy something more and he could assess them all together.

I have no right to—to assess it, to make a definition of it.

It was not for him to assess the significance of Mr. Forbes's desire to remain in the background.

The judge shall not assess a fine for the non-payment of his fine.

Officials were appointed to assess and collect taxes from all subjects.

In 1851 I was elected assessor and was the second man to assess the county.

It was a sort of emulation that had made him assess his old lady as the senior.